Spot bet for craps game

ABSTRACT

Disclosed, is a new bet for the game of Craps referred to as “spot bets” wherein a player places a bet that one or both of the dice will show up with a certain number of spots on its upward face. The spot bet combines turn bets and hopper bets, except in this case one individual bet takes the place of 6 separate bets. The player can bet on the 2 spot, for example, and this takes place of individual turning bets on the 1-2, the 3-2, the 4-2, the 5-2 and the 6-2 and a hopper bet on the 2-2. Furthermore, the player can make analogous spot bets on the 1-spot, the 3-spot, the 4-spot, the 5-spot, and/or the 6-spot. Another option is the small spot bet wherein the player is betting on 5 separate numbers, none of which adds to 7. The player can bet on the 2 “small spot”, for example, and this takes place of individual turning bets on the 1-2, the 3-2, the 4-2, and the 6-2 and a hopper bet on the 2-2.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving the dice game known as Craps, more particularly to a betting method referred to as “spot bets” wherein the player is betting that one or both of the dice will show up with a certain number of spots on its upward face, thereby making it more entertaining for players.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art

Craps games have a long history in casinos and the wagering is well known by those familiar with the art. As a background for the present invention, a short overview of the game of craps and some of the standard bets is presented.

Referring now to FIG. 1, Craps is a casino dice game played on an elongated table 10. The basic bets in craps are the pass line bet 12 and the come bet 14, and the reverse of these bets, the don't pass 16 and the don't come (bar either 12 or 2 for the Don't bets) 18. The player makes the bet by placing the wager (chips) on the desired bet. The basic bets have a small statistical percentage advantage for the casinos, but not enough to make craps a viable enterprise for the casino.

To compensate, craps games have other “off line” bets with better odds for the casino, but much higher returns for the player. Some of these bets include Hard Ways, Horn Bets, Hopper Bets, Turn Bets, Crap-Eleven bets and 7 bets on conventional craps tables. These “center bets” have large statistical percentage advantage for casinos, up to 10 times the percentage advantage of the basic pass line bets and come bets, but offer the player the excitement of a much higher payout. The craps games also have other interesting bets such as place bets, field bets, buy bets, and big 6/big 8 bets. The wide variety of bets makes the game more interesting to the player, and the casino reaps higher profits because the chance of a higher payoff makes these bets desirable to the players.

Casinos are therefore interested in promoting the “off line” bets. The horn bet is an excellent example: a single roll bet on 2, 3, 11 and 12 combined. Crap-Eleven is similar, being a bet on 2, 3, 11 and 12 but with different payoffs combined with the ability to bet either Craps (2, 3, 12) or 11 separately. These bets are exciting because they are for only one roll, they can have a relatively large payoff, and they cover more than one number.

Another type of offline bet, turn bets are a one-roll bet on numbers that are combinations of two numbers. As an example, a turning 3-2 (five) typically returns 16 dollars for one dollar bet. A bet of turning the fives 3-2 and 4-1 requires that two dollars be bet, and if either comes in, it returns 16 dollars. Bets similar to the turn bets are called hoppers when the bet is for a number such as 4-4 (which is less likely than the previous example) but returns $31 for one dollar bet. Players seem to like the turn bets, but not as much as the Horn or Crap Eleven bets. The apparent reason players do not like the turn or hopper bets as much as the horn is because there is a smaller frequency of winning on any given roll. The horn bet requires a minimum of $4 bet whereas the turn bets require only $1, and that accounts for the lesser frequency, since casino statistical percentage earnings are similar on the two bets. In all these cases, the dollar amounts can be considered chips (or units) rather than dollars, wherein the chip values can be any denomination.

Recently, there have been innovations in craps that have increased interest in the game and improved casino statistical percentage earnings. One innovation is “Crapless Craps”. In this game the player does not lose on the comeout roll with craps or win on the comeout roll with eleven. Instead, the craps numbers or the eleven become points. This game improves casino statistical percentage earnings on pass line and come bets by about a factor of 3:1. Most players do not realize this and the game has experienced surprising popularity. However, the word seems to be spreading that this game is not a good bet for the player.

Some casinos have recently added a new, proprietary bet called the “Fire Bet”. This bet pays 25:1 for a shooter making 4 different points during his turn, or 250:1 for 4 different points, or 1000:1 for 6 different points. It turns out that the casino statistical percentage earnings on the Fire Bet are very high (about 20%), but the possibility of making the high payoff of 1000:1 seems to excite the players and makes them want to do the bet. The disadvantages to the casino on this bet are twofold, first the need for dealers to keep track of the different points won, and second, the ease with which practiced dice control players can alter the statistics with huge potential losses for the casino.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed, is a new bet for the game of Craps referred to as “spot bets” wherein a player places a bet that one or both of the dice will show up with a certain number of spots on its upward face. The spot bet combines turn bets and hopper bets, such that one individual bet takes the place of 6 separate bets. The player can bet on the 2 spot, for example, and this takes place of individual turning bets on the 1-2, the 3-2, the 4-2, the 5-2 and the 6-2 and a hopper bet on the 2-2. Furthermore, the player can make analogous spot bets on the 1-spot, the 3-spot, the 4-spot, the 5-spot, and/or the 6-spot. This bet is more exciting and entertaining for the player, less effort for dealers, and can be more profitable for the casino than individual turn or hopper bets. This bet induces players to make high casino earnings bets in larger amounts due to the large and immediate payoffs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings in which reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout:

FIG. 1 illustrates a craps table layout of the prior art.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed view of an embodiment of the “spot bet” layout

FIG. 3 illustrates a center bet section of a standard craps table

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a craps table layout with incorporation of an embodiment of the “spot bet” layout.

FIG. 5 is a table showing the payouts on a $6 bet and casino incentives.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This invention is a new method of betting on the dice game craps, being played otherwise according to the standard rules. This involves at least one player wherein the players make a spot bet. The spot bet provides a simple way to make a wager with the possibility of a high yield and more frequent returns.

Referring now to FIG. 2, in an embodiment of this invention, the player may bet on any of 6 possible spot bets: the 1 spot 102, the 2 spot 104, the 3 spot 106, the 4 spot 108, the five spot 110, and the 6 spot 112. The bet is a one-roll bet. If one or both of the dice comes up showing the number of spots bet upon, the player wins. In one embodiment, the bet is firstly a nominal $6 bet amount. If one spot is showing, the player is returned a total of $16, or if both dice have the spot showing the player is returned $31 for the $6 bet. In another embodiment, the dealers would pay $10 for one or $25 two spots showing, and leave the original $6 bet up for the next roll. While the examples and explanations are given in dollars, in practice, dollar amounts can be considered as chips (or units), with the chips having any given denomination. Also, casinos can vary the payouts as desired. Note that each spot bet can be won with an outcome of 7. For example, a one spot would win on a 6+1 (six on one die, one on the other die), a two spot wins on 5+2, a 3 spot wins on 3+4, a 4 spot wins on 4+3, a five spot wins on 5+2, and a six spot wins on 6+1. In another embodiment, the player can select a “Small Spot Bet” for $5, and not win on the 7 but with payoffs the same, $16 and $31, as the regular spot bets on all other combinations having the selected number of spots.

Referring now to FIG. 3, making a similar bet on the existing layout of a craps table is more difficult for both the casino and the player. For example, a 2 spot bet would be like betting on the turning of 1-2 120, 3-2 122, 4-2 124, 5-2 126, 6-2 128, and the hopper bet of 2-2 130. The 5-2 126 bet must be specified as the 5-2 turning 7. To bet all 6 of these turning numbers requires $1 each for a total of $6 and would return $16 if any one hits, except for the 2-2 hopper which would return $31. An exemplary embodiment unifies all the bets into a single bet easily handled by the dealers, and easily placed by the players. It is a bet that wins frequently, encouraging players to make the bet more frequently. In this embodiment, the player would be betting $6, rather just $1, on a single number. The fact that this is a one roll bet gives instant resolution of outcome, a high frequency of wins, and moderately high payoffs, all of which are the elements making this an exciting bet for the player. Advantages to the game operator are that this bet has a high statistical percentage earnings for the game operators, making craps a more profitable enterprise. The bet involves a large sum, reduced handling time and reduced effort for the statistical return.

The table in FIG. 5 shows the table of returns for all the possible spot bets:

The table in FIG. 5 shows example results for $6 spot bets. Statistically, there will be 36 different equally likely outcomes as shown in the left columns for die A and die B. Total returns are shown in the main body of the table for the specific spot bets. On the average for 36 rolls of the dice, the player will have bet $216 and the game operator will have returned $191, leaving the game operator with a statistically averaged return of 11.6% of the money bet.

An exemplary embodiment of the spot bet can be easily played and paid for multiples of $6 as the player desires, with payoffs in the same multiple as the bet. The player can play more than one spot bet simultaneously, making higher the likelihood of a win, and more excitement for the player.

The spot bet can be played for other amounts as well, with payoffs adjusted. For example, if it were played with just $3 bet, the returns would be $8.00 and $15.50 if made in proportion to the amounts in the table above. In other embodiments, the game operator could elect to make the returns different, say $8.00 and $15.00 for the lower amounts bet (thus making the game operator profit expectation higher and avoiding using half dollar pieces).

The $16 and $31 return amounts shown in the table are the same returns the player would receive if the player bet the five respective turn and the hopper bet separately. The returns are convenient because the dealer can pay off with two $5 chips or one $25 chip and leave the player up on the same bet for the next roll of dice.

If the game operator desires, it can provide an incentive return greater than the respective $16 and $31 returns shown, at some sacrifice in game operator profit. In another embodiment, with the table shown (FIG. 5), the dealer will typically pay the player either $10 or $25 (depending upon whether a single spot or double spot hits) leaving the players bet up for another roll of the dice. If the game operator wants to provide an incentive, the dealer could pay, for example, $26 for hitting double spots if the bet is left up, reducing the average game operator profit, but keeping the bet up for another roll.

Advantage to the player is that the game is more interesting due to the element of excitement associated with a one-roll bet and the prospect of higher payouts. The element of excitement encourages players to make more bets and play more often. Advantage to the casino is encouragement of a high casino earning rate, and faster, easier placement of bets (as compared to making the equivalent hopper and turning bets).

The incentive return approach is already common in casino craps games. When a player bets “any 7”, the return is 5 for one. However, if the player turns the 3-4, the 2-5 and the 6-1, (“Turning 7's”) the return is $16 for $3, greater than the $5 for $1 ratio for betting only $1. The incentive makes the player feel better when winning, thereby inducing the player to make larger bets, and it makes the player feel competent for just knowing about the larger payoff. As with the proposed spot bets, the any 7 and turning 7's bets can be made in any multiple of the amounts discussed, up to the table limit.

Referring to FIG. 4, In order to facilitate the players making the spot bet, a special place is laid out on the table 150 for the bets rather than placing the spot bets as turn bets and hopper bets at 6 different places on the table. The specific place also makes it possible for the dealer to place the bets quickly without delaying the game. Delay of the game is a reduction in the casino's hourly rate of earnings, and thus undesirable. Generally, the spot bets should be labeled, perhaps with pictures of the dice or spots, and the name. An embodiment of the layout is shown

While an equivalent of the six spot bets is possible on current crap table layouts by placing 6 separate bets on appropriate turning and hopping bets, the new layout encourages players betting the larger amounts, saves dealers time and motion, and increases casino profits. 

1. A method of playing the dice game craps, using a pair of dice and involving at least one player comprising the steps of: receiving from the players a wager, called a spot bet, placed on a number from one to six; establishing a shooter of the pair of dice by a rotating selection of the players; rolling the pair of dice by the shooter; resolving the wager based on the number shown on the dice, wherein the wagers not matching any of the numbers on the dice are lost, wagers matching numbers on the dice are paid
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shooter is selected by the previous roll of the dice.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein wagers that match any of the numbers represented on the face of the dice rolled by the shooter pays approximately 16 for 6 to the player.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein wagers that match the numbers represented on the face of both dice rolled by the shooter pays approximately 31 for 6 to the player.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein wagers that match any of the numbers represented on the face of the dice rolled by the shooter pays 10 to 6 if the player leaves the bet for another roll.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein wagers that match the numbers represented on the face of both dice rolled by the shooter pays 25 to 6 if the player leaves the bet for another roll.
 7. The method of claim 2 wherein wagers that match any of the numbers represented on just one face of the two dice rolled by the shooter pays 16 for 5 to the player, unless the sum of faces on the dice is equal to 7 in which case the player loses. Wagers that match the number bet on both faces pay 31 for
 5. This is the small spot bet. The small bet is placed by the player in units of 5 instead of 6 as in the usual spot bet.
 8. A craps table layout comprising: An area for standard bets, and a separate area for spot bets anywhere upon the table.
 9. The craps table layout of claim 7 where the separate area for spot bets is located towards an upper center of the craps table layout. 